Before the Worst  Songfic
by Bronnii
Summary: Hermione calls off the relationship, can Draco get her back?


_It's been a while since the two of us talked_

_About a week since the day that you walked_

_Knowing things would never be the same_

_With your empty heart and mine full of pain_

"Hermione, please, I know things haven't been great between us; I know I don't spend enough time with you, but I work as hard as I do because I want to get you your every desire, whatever you want, you'd get. I worship the ground you walk on, Hermione." Draco Malfoy pleaded his long-time girlfriend of two years.

Hermione's amber orbs cross-examined his groveling state; she pitied him, at that moment in time. She understood where he was coming from; he was always whisking her off on some extravagant date and showering her with gifts, the money had to come from somewhere since the Ministry revoked the majority of the Malfoy wealth to pay for the damage of the war, in which Lucius Malfoy participated in and died as Voldemort's right-hand guy.

"Draco, you know as well as I do we're not going anywhere in this relationship. I don t want to do it but I want you to be truly happy, and I assure you I cant give you that." Hermione sniffed, tears cascading down her paled cheeks as she stared intently at the man she loved so much, that she had to let him go.

Draco visibly sagged in defeat; the one woman he had grown to love more than anything on the Earth, had given up on him. It pained him to say, she was probably right, like always; Hermione was always right, so he trusted her judgment.

"I trust you, Hermione; if you don't think it'll work as much as it pains me and breaks my heart, you know best. I-if I-I c-can't m-make you h-happy, I-I understand; y-you deserve t-the world!" Draco stated, tears were freely falling down his pale face and showed no signs of stopping soon.

"Oh, Draco, you did make me happy,"

"T-then why do w-we have to break up?" Tears glistened against his silver eyes, his platinum blonde hair ruffled; he looked defeated, it crushed Hermione.

"Draco, please don t make this harder than it already is for me. I feel so bad about it but I can't make you happy, I just know it. You'll find someone else, your perfect but me, I'm just an insufferable know-it-all and ugly to boot." She smiled hollowly.

Draco just sagged further as she pecked his forehead and walked into the night, his heart broke into a thousand pieces. he couldn't love anyone but Hermione, she was his one true love; the one he wanted to spend the rest of his life with, his soul-mate, and his everything. But she thought she wasn't good enough and left, it tore him apart, she was perfect for him.

_So explain to me, how it came to this_

_Take it back to the night we kissed_

_It was Dublin city on a Friday night_

_You were vodkas and coke, I was Guinness all night_

Three months after Hermione fled Draco's life, he found himself in some random pub in Dublin, trying to drink away his troubles of love-sickness like every other night for three months; he was a dead-man walking, hollowed and emotionless. He couldn't feel; he couldn't live without his Hermione.

He could still remember how her brown waves fell perfectly down her back and how her amber eyes were speckled with gold; he could remember everything about her but he couldn't have her. Knocking back the traditional Muggle drink of Guinness the bartender offered him, Draco sobbed internally not daring to let tears fall from his drowned eyes. He was alone and couldn't move on, he'd already had the best, and how do you get better than the best?

Hermione sighed, so much for having fun in Dublin; this was a total wash-out. She missed Draco and it crushed her whenever she'd see a head of white blonde hair or a set of grey eyes. She was crushed. She wandered into some decent-looking bar to try and drink away a few of her problems. Pushing open the door, her eyes locked onto a head of platinum blonde hair, granted it was disheveled and messy but alas it reminded her of her Draco's sleek blonde locks. She walked up to the bar and ordered a vodka and coke and turned on her heel to seek out an empty table. Her eyes wandered to the head of blonde hair once again, she was at an angle where she could see his downcast face. She knew that pale skin and pointed chin anywhere but did she want to cause him anymore pain. Too late, he looked up and spotted her in a heartbeat. His eyes grew wide and his mouth formed a perfect circle shape; he was surprised there she was; his angel.

"H-Hermione?" He stuttered, could it be the love of his life stood before him?

She couldn't run away from him, not again. She smiled weakly and nodded. He scrambled to his feet and rushed to her. He had to touch her, make sure he wasn't dreaming. But even if he was dreaming he didn't want to wake up. His nimble fingers touched her creamy skin and he knew; he knew he wasn't dreaming.

"Want to catch up?" he grinned, sadly.

She nodded mutely and sat opposite his drink of alcohol. She sipped at her drink nervously as his eyes bored holes into her face.

"So, how have you been?" He whispered, disappointed he didn't know.

"O-okay, I suppose, travelling a bit, it's why I'm here in Dublin; I just came from Scotland."

He nodded; he knew how much she liked to travel.

"Have you been managing alright, financially, Hermione? I'd still support you if you were struggling in anyway."

"No, I'm not your burden anymore, Draco; you don't have to worry about me. I'm surprised to see you here alone, actually; I expected to next see you in female company of some sort." She said.

He flinched. Did she think she could walk out of his life and he'd move on so easily?

"I can't."

"You can't?"

He nodded minutely.

"Why, Draco? You were, are, such an attractive man, I'm sure you'd have no problems if you just tried."

"I didn't, don't, want to." He whispered.

Hermione cocked her head to a side, anticipating further explanation.

"I can't bring myself to move on." Draco muttered.

"No, no this isn't what I wanted, I wanted you to be happy!" Hermione whispered, shaking her head at the preposterous idea.

"Can't you see you made me happy, more than anything or anyone in this world?"

Tears welled in Hermione's eyes and she stood abruptly and kissed Draco on the lips before walking away; out another door.

Draco's fingertips touched his tingling lips. Why couldn't she see what seemed so obvious?

_We were sitting with our backs against the world_

_Saying things that we thought but never heard_

_Who would have thought it would end up like this?_

_Where everything we talked about is gone_

_And the only chance of moving on_

_Was trying to take it back before it all went wrong_

Draco didn't expect for things to leave the same as the last time he watched Hermione Granger walk out the door; he expected some sort of progress to be made, but things were left unsaid on his part. Sure he had voiced some of his opinions that normally he would of kept to himself, like how he refused to move on. Probably not the best idea.

Draco thought about all the plans he and Hermione had talked about; she wanted to travel the world and he was only too happy to accompany her, but now she was out there doing it by herself. He had told her one day he'd make an honest woman out of her and make her his wife; truth be told he had all ready purchased the engagement ring, he was going to propose the same night she told him it was over. Now she was free for somebody else to beat him to marry her, most likely Ronald Weasley would be his successor. They had spoke about their children, what they would look like blonde, curly hair with big brown eyes or maybe straight brown hair and grey eyes perhaps? But now Hermione was probably going to bear red-headed, brown eyed sprogs. It broke his heart further and further the more he thought about her.

Maybe he could persuade her? It was a slim hope but hope nonetheless.

_Before the worst, before we met_

_Before our hearts decide_

_It's time to love again_

_Before too late, before too long_

_Let's try to take it back_

_Before it all went wrong_

Before Draco and Hermione met once again after school, but not the final battle as Draco disobeyed the Dark Lord and changed sides and fought for the Light. Before hand, Hermione could not stand anything Malfoy-related; she thought them to be evil, manipulative monsters doing all they could to make half-bloods and muggle-borns lives a living hell. But then Draco Malfoy did something remarkably unselfish and fought against his father and Voldemort to make the peaceful society people live in today, that changed Hermione's perspective ten-fold in Draco's favor. Then, the quite near impossible happened. Draco Malfoy asked the one and only, busy-haired buck-toothed Mudblood out for a drink; she accepted, her curiosity piqued.

That one date changed Hermione's concept of Draco Malfoy entirely. He was sensitive and deep unlike the thuggish men she had dated beforehand. It was like they say, there's a thin line between love and hate; and they were no exception, he courted her for months before she gave him the satisfaction of being his 'official' girlfriend. He always did nag.

Draco was going to make things change for the better, if Hermione thought that he put his work before her he would do the drastic and court her all over again, quit his job and find something more suitable, even if he didn't he'd fall back on his little nest of saved galleons and lavish her all the same. It was do or die, fight or flight for him and he certainly wasn't going to give up on the most important person to him, so easily.

Hermione had touched down in Rome, Italy and was exiting the plane and into the crowds of people holding up name cards. She was surprised to see someone holding a 'Soon to be mine again, Hermione Granger' plaque. She frowned, her eyebrows knitting together and she paced briskly to the person holding up a card gracing her name.

"Hey, um, excuse me, why on Earth are you holding that card, with my name?" Hermione semi-snapped, trying to peek at the mysterious card-holder's face; she was met with a pair of slate grey eyes and a face of face of pale skin topped off with a mop of platinum blonde hair. There was her Draco, looking disheveled and exhausted, deep colored smudges under his eyes.

"D-Draco?"

He simply nodded in conformation.

"H-How did you find me?" Hermione questioned, surprised to say the least.

"I begged your parents to tell me where you were heading next, they didn't want to tell me, but I must off looked like a desperate man. I was... I needed to tell you how I feel what I was going to do, be-before well y'know..."

Hermione nodded.

"I was hoping you'd listen anyway, I can't force you; you're too strong-willed!" Draco smiled, sadly.

"I will, I think I always will. Come on, we'll talk in my hotel room?"

They walked side by side, it took all of Draco's will-power not to grasp Hermione's swaying hand or take her luggage for her but she told him no. They walked for about 10 minutes in silence, an unnerving kind of silence. Hermione checked in and beckoned Draco into the elevator; it was nothing extremely fancy, mediocre but when you travel the world you do it for the sights and experience not the lavish hotels.

She chucked her bag and suitcase onto the floor and sat on the edge of the bed, leaving Draco awkwardly stood at the doorway.

"Come in, silly. Have a seat."

Draco complied, he'd dance like an idiot if she'd have asked.

"Care to elaborate what you briefly put at the airport? 'Soon to be mine again'?"

Draco chuckled slightly,

"I didn't realize how pathetic that sounds. I'm sorry, that must have been embarrassing! Well, I felt I needed to clear the air, no matter what you choose."

"No matter what I choose? What about you?"

"It will always be your decision, I won't ever ask you to do something you didn't want to, Hermione. I came because I wanted to explain something." Hermione nodded, smiling slightly,

" I wanted to tell you, the night you called us off, I was going to finally do as I promised and propose; I knew things were awkward sometimes, but I loved you with all my heart. Still do."

Tears streamed down both pairs of eyes before he continued,

" I bought you a ring, you can have it if you'd like, I wouldn't ever think of giving it to anyone else. Only you. But I don t want you to feel guilty or anything, just because your my 'One' doesn't mean I'm yours. I just hoped you felt the same but now I know you didn't, which sort of helps my ego not to be shot down."

Draco scrambled in his pockets and pulled out a gold band with a green emerald encircling a small red ruby. Hermione gasped, fresh tears pricked at her eyes. Why had she been so rash, to break things off so suddenly? Draco paced to her and pressed the ring in her palm. He smiled genuinely.

"Draco, I would of married you; but now I've ruined everything!" Hermione sobbed. He soothed her by rubbing her upper arm, he didn't want to seem pushy.

"Shush, it's okay. You weren t to know; you had a good reason to break things off."

"I didn't I felt neglected but I wasn't I was just a spoiled brat! I didn t realize how much you did just to please me! Draco, I'm so, so, so sorry! I didn't mean it! I do want you but I wrecked it, I know I wouldn t take me back!"

" I'd marry you in a heartbeat but I know you don't mean it. I aren t going to ask you to marry me... just yet anyhow. I'd rather court you again, get to know you all over again. I'll quit my job if things get serious, I swear!"

"You don't have to but; done!"

**A/N - I know crappy ending, but I didn t want it to drag forever being the fact I'd run out of lyrics to put to continue in a quick-paced manner. Sorry 'bout that! Tell me what you think?**

Bronnii xx


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